Whether you’re a serious student of combative arts or just a casual fan of the combat sports, you’ve probably heard the term “clinch.” There seems to be an endless stream of variations, most named for the part of the world they come from (e.g., the Thai clinch or the Greco-Roman clinch) or the way they
One of the more popular, though misguided, sayings in combatives training refers to a new technique as “just another tool for your toolbox.” It’s one of those comforting industry truisms that makes a good soundbite without actually explaining anything. As teaching goes, it’s really no different than “because I say so.” The problem with the
What I hope to impart to the reader in the next 1490 (or so) words is a better understanding of some of the psychological principles that provide the framework for combat training techniques and tactics. I would like to begin by pointing out the difference between “complex” and “complicated.” If something is complex, it has
During a recent episode of The Best Defense TV show, my co-host and I demonstrated the use of a weapon strike against an opponent. I thought viewers might wonder why we would promote such a non-standard technique when simply shooting the person (if warranted) was possible. The main thing to keep in mind is that
With the meteoric rise in popularity of the Ultimate Fighting Championships and similar events over the past 15 years, it has become impossible to debate the viability of grappling in the self-defense world. You can argue how effective it is, but you cannot dispute that grappling is a fact of life that must be dealt
It’s difficult to spend any time researching self-preservation topics, especially on the internet, without stumbling over someone warning, “Don’t go to the ground in a street fight.” The implication seems to be that even touching the ground with anything other than the soles of your feet will result in instant death. But as with many
